Link Love (2015-07-26)

Thought-provoking

“I’ve written before about toxic and abusive relationships before, but one of the keys is simply: how do you feel about your partner? Do you feel like you can never do anything right and that they’re always blaming you for things that go wrong? Are they always undermining you, cutting you down, reminding you of how useless you are or how you should be grateful that you’re with them? Do you feel like you have to apologize for them to others because they “don’t understand”? Do they make you constantly question your own judgement and worry that you’re overreacting or making too much out of an issue? Are you afraid of them? These are all signs of abuse. You know this. Your own Spidey-sense was telling you this was a bad scene. But let’s be honest here: it’s understandable that you brushed off your own alarm bells. Women are socialized constantly to question their own judgement, to believe their instincts are wrong and to give people the benefit of the doubt.” Ask Dr NerdLove: How Do I Know When It’s Abuse?

“I’ll list here Marie Kondo’s most significant rules, but I do encourage you to pick up the book (downloading means no additional physical clutter) or get it from the library, because her Eastern philosophy is critical to understanding why the rules work and why they make sense (and will seem a bit wacky to some Westerners). Her book also helps with the emotions around decluttering things like gifts people have given you, or important paperwork.” The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Psychology Today

“Wash by hand or run the dishwasher? Spouses and roommates have long been divided over the question of which uses more water and electricity. And it’s just complex enough to make for a good argument among those inclined to debate the issue. The short answer is that running a new Energy Star dishwasher loaded to capacity is the best, most efficient method of doing the dishes. It’s also the least time-consuming. But efficient hand-washing is a close second in terms of electricity and water use, particularly if your only other option is to use an older machine. And whether or not you own a dishwasher, you can clean your plates more efficiently by scraping rather than rinsing. Read on for the full details.” The Great Dishwasher Debate – NRDC

Equality

“Let’s try for one more premise, shall we? Let’s make the assumption that science makes its best progress when it has the widest pool of possible scientists to pick its best people from. It makes sense, doesn’t it? If everyone who could be a scientist has the chance to be, and will have their talents nurtured if they make that choice, then it’s far more likely that our pool of scientists will be as good as it can possibly be. Every time we narrow down that pool of potential, we cut ourselves off from people who could do good and important work, and bring something unique to the endeavour.” – Tim Hunt has resigned. This is good. This is not about revenge. – Consider the Tea Cosy

“Some studies have shown that upwards of 90% of victims of revenge porn are women. And while it’s absolutely essential that any victim, regardless of gender, can get justice, the gender breakdown of this phenomenon points to something more sinister at play.
The viewing of women’s bodies as objects and commodities, as well as the tendency to shame women for their sexuality, largely plays into the targeting of women through cyber sex crimes like revenge porn.” 6 Reasons Why Revenge Porn Is Really F*cked Up (And How One Woman Is Pushing Back) – Everyday Feminism

Beauty & Body Image

“Selfies are often criticized as the ultimate expression of narcissism, but I approach them as self-portraits, unstudied and imperfect, that function for me as a path to accepting how I look, both in pictures and in real life. For me this starts with making memories with my girl. I’ll take her swimming even when I’m not comfortable with how I look in a bathing suit. I can skip the make-up for running errands so we both know I’m not obligated to “put my face on” before leaving the house. We will bake cookies together, and I’ll eat one too. And in the coming years, when someone asks, “Do you want me to get a photo of you two together?” I will say yes, over and over again. I’m staying in the picture.” The Selfie Project: Staying in the Picture – Adios Barbie

“Although I started out aiming for a certain look, what I was REALLY after was happiness, confidence, and self-respect.Wanting to look good can be a strong and positive force in getting us started and keeping us moving forward. It was for me. And I’m sure it is for MANY Nerd Fitness Rebels. ” Is it Vain to Want to Look Better? How Far Is Too Far? – Nerd Fitness

Inspirational

“I firmly believe that we are not our inner critics, that the inner critic voice is one strand of us, a fear-based strand that is not the core of who we are.One way to think of it is this: most of us hear our inner critic thoughts in this form, “You aren’t good at that” or “You aren’t ready” or “If you do that, people will realize you don’t know what you are talking about.”In all those statements, notice that there is a speaker and then a “you” that the speaker is addressing.So here’s the question: who is the “you” that is listening to that critical voice? Who is the critic talking to?If you were your critic, there would be no separate you for the critic to address its remarks to.” a question to ask yourself today – Tara Sophia Mohr

Chronic Illness & Pain

“The human–pet connection is one that researchers continue to explore. Over the past few decades there have been numerous studies examining the role of pets in our health, and more are underway. It’s possible that pets could eventually become an integral part of arthritis treatment, or they may maintain their current status as helpful furry friends. Whatever the future holds, there’s no question that for now, pets like Tony are making a big difference for people like Karen Alvarez. “I could probably do it without him,” Alvarez says, “but I’m glad I don’t have to.”” The Power of Pets – Arthritis Self-Management

“New research is revealing that many cases of depression are caused by an allergic reaction to inflammation. Tim de Chant of NOVA writes: “Inflammation is our immune system’s natural response to injuries, infections, or foreign compounds. When triggered, the body pumps various cells and proteins to the site through the blood stream, including cytokines, a class of proteins that facilitate intercellular communication. It also happens that people suffering from depression are loaded with cytokines.” Inflammation is caused by obesity, high sugar diets, high quantities of trans fats, unhealthy diets in general, and other causes.” New Research Discovers that Depression is an Allergic Reaction to Inflammation – FEEL Guide

Health

“”Even if you’re meeting your physical activity guidelines, you cannot undo the risks of prolonged sitting,” said Gavin Bradley, director of the campaign group Get Britain Standing, one of the authors of the new guidance. Bradley, who spoke during a telephone interview while walking, said officials estimate the average Briton sits for more than half of their working hours. His group is expanding its campaign to other countries including the U.S. on Tuesday and is pushing for more people to have access to a desk that allows them to stand.” Don’t take a seat: Panel says workers should stand for about 2 hours a day, even with exercise – Calgary Herald

“We usually think our mind is in control and telling our body what to do. But there is a lot of scientific evidence that shows the chatter between mind and body goes two ways, and the body is an integral part of how we think. In the new book How the Body Knows Its Mind, Prof. Sian Beilock provides the latest scientific evidence about the body’s influence on our psyche, drawing on work from her own laboratory and from colleagues around the world.” Mind-body connection not a one-way street – Medical Xpress